Electric switch.



No. 837,634. PATENTE'D DEG. 4, V1906.

- G. P. MGDONNELL.

ELECTRIC SWITCH.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 9, 1905 inuanlior:

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GEGRGE P. h/CDONNELL, `Uli S'L'LQUlS,li/HSSOURL ASSIGNORTO AMERCANELEClltlU CMPANY, Ol? EASTORANGE, NEW JER- l?. Still-TCH are. ser/,esa

Specification o' Letters atent.

Patented Dec. 4, 1906.

Application filed November 9,1905. serial No. 235,537..

To all w22/om, t may concern:

Be it known that l, GEORGE l?. MCDON- NELL, a citizen of the UnitedISta-tes, residing at St. Louis, Missouri, have invented a cerformingpart of this speciiication, inwhich-- Figure i is a plan view or" adevice embodying the vteatures-ot my invention' Fig. 2 is a frontelevation oi the device shown in Figh l. Fig. 3 is a cross-sectionalview taken on the line X of l. Fig. 4i is a detail view showing in sideelevation one of the disks carrying the controlling means, and Fig. 5 isa transverse sectional view of the device shown in Fig. 4l. i

y rlhis invention relates to electrical switches, and particularly toswitches used electrical display-signs.

My invention iis herein shown as embodied in a switch tor controllingthe illrunination oi' an electrical display-sign in which the difierentcharacters composing the sign are illuminated in a certain sequence.

@ne object of my invention is to provide a switch having adjustablecontrolling means :lor varying the time which the ycharacters of thesign are illuminated and also the length of time for which they remainilluminated. I

Another object of the invention is to provide a switch in which the lrushes will not be subjected to useless wear, thereby prolonging itsperiod of usefulness and insuring its controlling the illumination ofthe characters at just the roper time.

rihe devicev herein shown, which represents the preferred form oi myinvention, comprises a switch having adjustable controlling means movingin a circular path and cooperatingY with brushes which move out otengagement with. said controlliugnmeans for breaking the circuits whichilluminate the characters of the sign. Said device is constructed tocontrol the illumination olA a sign made up of flour characters--such,ior eX- ample, the letters S O A P --and the controlling means is solarrangedthat the letter S will iirst be illuminated, then the letters 0,A, and progressively,'

and then all of the letters will be extinguished simultaneously. Itshould be understood, however, that this same idea could be embodied ina switch for use in a sign made up of a different number "of charactersand 1n which the sequence of illumination 1s dll*- `ferent.

Referring to the drawings, 2 designates a b ase provided at its oppositeends with bears f ings 3 and 5 for a shaft 4, the bearing 5 also being,-provided with journals 7 for a crossshait 6. Fastened to the shaft 4 isa wormgear 8, which meshes with a worm l0 on a cross-shaft 6, said shaftbeing provided with a grooved pulley l2, that is driven by means ci abelt, (not shown,) whereby rote y move- .ment is. imparted to the shaft4:. iAdjustably secured to the shaft 4, preferably by means ofset-screws 14, are a plurality of disks 16, 16', 162, and 163,each'having a' circular groove lthat receives Ithe controlling meanscomprising laterally-projecting Iblocks 18, 18, 182, and 183 adjustablyheld in position by screws,- 19. (See Fig. 5.) These controlling-blocksare adapted to cooperate with brushes 20, 2 0', 202, and 2G, consisting`o'll llat springs, preferably formed ot brass, and being in contact withbindingposts 22, 22', 222, and 223, each ci' which receives a negativewire that leads to the illuminating; means of one of the letters of thesign.` The binding-posts and vbrushes are mounted on .blocks 24, whichare insulated from the base'2 by insulating material, as shown in Fig.3, and the position of each brush relatively to its controlling-blockscan '1 be varied by a screw 26, that is threaded into anupwardly-projecting arm ,on the block. Cooperating with the disk 16brush 19, similar in construction vto the brushes previously described.and being in contact with the binding-post 21, which receives a positivewire leading from the illuminating means for the letters and through asource of electric energy, the brush 19E beingy always in engagen'ientwith the disk 16. T he disk 16 is provided with four controlling-blocksadjusted together to form a segment, the

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dish 16 with three blocks, the disk '162 with two blocks, and the disk163 with one block, so that when the shaft l revolves in the directionof thearrew in Fig. 3 the eoiitrolling,r` blocks on the disk 16 willcooperate with the brush 2O 'to close the eireuit for the letter US,"said bleek sind brush remaining in engagement while the bloeks on theother disks engage the brushes progressively. The blocks on the disksare so arrzmffed that the controlling means on :ill the disiez will passout oi engagement with the brushes at the same time7 whereby the eireuitfor each letter is broken :it the sinne time to extinguish ill/ol" theletters simultaneously, the brushes then assuming their normal positionout oll engagement with the controllingy ineens, as shown in dottedlines in Figi. I5.

One desirable 'feature of e construction such :is that deserilied isthat the brushes are in engagement with their cooper-tingControlling-blocks only when the eirenii is tlosed, so thzit the)r arenot subjected to nnneeessnry weer :nid their period oi' Vusefulness isaccordingly prolonged. lnithermore :is the controlling ineens ol theswitch consists of zi plurality of adjustable blocks the sequence inwhich the letters :ire illuminated can be Varied it will and also thetime l'or which each letter remains illumimited.

Having' thus described thtl inventionvliat is desired to beseeured byLetters Patent is-P l. l device ol the Character deseribed, comprisingr:i rotary disk proi'ided in one? ol' its side lnees with n Circularslot, n. eontrolling member ronsistiner oi :i segmentalshnped bloeitmounted in sind slot and ridjustsbly held in position, and :L brushcoperiitingr with seid bloeit; substantially es described.

A de'Viee oi the ehtn'neter described, comprising4 zi rotary diskprovided in one ol' its side lleves with :L eireulnr slot, :icontrolling` member eonsisting' oll n` plurnlity ol segnn ntiil-sliepmlbloelt's :idjustnbly mounted in the slotl in sind dish :ind projectingllaterally therefrom, :i brush. eonsistiner ol` :i` lint springeooperii'ling with said eontrolling member, and ni udite-:telde rewextending through said spring` to control its position relatively te thecontrolling member; substantially :is deseriberl.

in Vteslimon)r iif'liereol' l hereunto :iiiix my signature.y in thepresenf-e ol two witnesses, this lst defy' of Nmenlber, i905.

GEORG-E l). ).le'l'ONNELL.

llfitnesses:

luv ic-Lts li. CHURCH, Grimme Brummen.,

